LIVE | Spain vs Saudi Arabia, FIFA World Cup 2026: Yamal, Oyarzabal help ESP lead 4-0 in 48 mins
FIFA World Cup 2026 Match Today Live Score: Spain have taken a 4-0 lead after 48 minutes against Saudi Arabia in their FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage clash, thanks to goals from Lamine Yamal (10th minute), Mikel Oyarzabal (21st and 24th minutes) and a own goal from Saudi Arabia’s Hassan Altambakti. Oyarzabal famously could not get a single touch on the ball in the first 30 minutes of Spain’s first World Cup 2026 game against Cape Verde. Today he’s scored two goals in the span of three minutes vs Saudi Arabia.
In the first half, Spain have had 57 per cent of the ball compared to Saudi’s 34%; 17 attempts at goal compared to two; five attempts on target compared to none from Saudi Arabia. 344 passes completed by Luis de la Fuente’s side as compared to 117 from Georgios Donis’s men.
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After failing to score past minnows Cape Verde, Spain will be looking to go all out against a resolute Saudi Arabia side on Sunday. In their first match, both these sides dropped points with Spain drawing 0-0 with Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia sharing the spoils vs Uruguay.
Spain, who came into the World Cup as favourites, were shocked by the defensive capabilities of Cape Verde who absorbed everything that the Spanish armada threw at them. With their best player Lamine Yamal playing a bit part role in that match, the Barcelona player ios expected to feature from the start against the Saudi team.
For Saudi Arabia, the defeat that they inflicted on eventual world champions Argentina in the 2022 World Cup is still fresh in the minds of their fans, who will be hoping that the Asian side can spring a surprise against the 2010 world champions on Sunday as well.
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Cape Verde frustrated Spain in a goalless draw in their FIFA World Cup debut game. (AP)
How World Cup debutants Cape Verde frustrated Spain for 90 minutes
Cape Verde, second smallest in size, third smallest in population, etched their name in World Cup history, holding the current European champions, Spain, to a timeless 0-0 draw that reinvigorated the magic of a World Cup. The result was as razor-thin as could be expected – Cape Verde’s keeper Vozinha made seven crucial saves, and Spain threw the kitchen sink at the end. But the debutants held on stoutly and produced what will go down as one of the biggest results of a World Cup.